Vintage Bollywood Memorabilia makes its mark in London

Vintage Bollywood Memorabilia made its mark in London on Friday 29 November, as collectors from Australia, the UK, Holland, India, Spain and the UAE, watched 172 lots go under the hammer at Conferro Auctions inaugural sale, at the Westbury Hotel in Mayfair.

Celebrating 100 years of Bollywood, the auction featured collectables such as LPs, film banners and posters from some of the milestones of Indian film history, including Mughal-e-Azam (1960) and Sholay (1975), which were recently voted the top two greatest Bollywood films of all time.

The sale of vintage Bollywood memorabilia achieved more than £100,000. In total, over 80 per cent of the 172 lots were sold.

The auction was led by Lot 1, featuring LPs and posters from the classic Bollywood films: Mughal-e-Azam, Sholay and Mother India, which sold for £1,700. Lot 72, containing LPs from films such as Shabnam, Bhabi and Izzat, featuring the Bollywood singer Manna Day, sold for £1,200.

Commenting on the auction results, Sharan Seth, Founder of Conferro Auctions, said: “Our auction has set a precedent for the sale of vintage Bollywood memorabilia in the UK. The auction was a celebration of India’s cinematic heritage and heralds a new era for the Indian art and collectables market in the UK. We are overwhelmed with the support we have received from existing collectors and a new generation of buyers, reflecting the increasing appetite for vintage Bollywood memorabilia across the world.“

Attendees included Gopichand Hinduja (right), one of India’s richest businessmen, as well as Kamal Fabiani (left), one of India’s leading collectors of Indian art and heritage items.

A percentage of all sales achieved at the auction will be donated to Pratham UK. This is part of Conferro Auction’s commitment to help provide basic literacy to India’s 100 million illiterate children. The charity seeks to improve literacy and arithmetic skills of children in India; protecting them from child labour and providing young women with the opportunity to return to school.

The final lot, a cricket bat signed by 32 Indian film legends such as Ranveer Singh and Priyanka Chopra was sold for £7,500. The lot was bought by Conferro’s Founder Sharan Seth, as part of his commitment to helping disadvantaged children in the UK.

The bat was donated by BBC Asian Network presenter Tommy Sandhu and all proceeds from the sale of the lot are going to the charity, Children in Need.

Children in Need provide grants to projects in the UK which help disadvantaged children and young people. They aim to empower and extend their life choices to make a real difference to the lives of children all across the UK.